Patriarchas

Patriarchas, or patriarchs, is the plural form of patriarcha/patriarch, a term used in several linguistic and religious traditions to denote a senior male leader. In general usage, a patriarch is the male head of a family group or clan, especially in traditional or patriarchal societies.

In Christian contexts, a patriarch is a bishop who heads a major church jurisdiction called a patriarchate. A patriarchate is a large ecclesiastical territory governed by a patriarch. In early Christianity, five great patriarchates formed the Pentarchy: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. Over time, other patriarchates emerged in various Christian communions, notably within the Eastern Orthodox and some Eastern Catholic churches, such as the Patriarchates of Moscow, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and others.

In Judaism and biblical literature, “patriarchs” typically refers to the founding fathers of the Israelites—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—who are regarded as ancestors of the tribes of Israel and as exemplary models of faith.

The term can also be used more broadly to denote revered elder figures in religious or cultural traditions. Secular usage describes patriarch as the male head of a household or extended lineage, and patriarchal as an adjective describing social systems that centralize authority in men.